1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise machine having rotatable hand and foot cranking mechanisms. More specifically, the invention discloses an exercise machine having rotatable hand and foot cranking mechanisms which includes a plurality of adjustable components to make the machine suitable for all users, regardless of their size and strength.
2. Description of the Prior Art
______________________________________ PRIOR ART OF INTEREST Number Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,213,852 Lawson J. Zent Oct. 26, 1965 3,964,742 Guido Carnielli June 22, 1976 4,402,502 Gilbert E. Peters Sep. 6, 1983 4,423,863 Romulo A. Figueroa Jan. 3, 1984 4,842,269 Gwo-Ming Huang June 27, 1989 5,104,120 Scott E. Watterson et al. Apr. 14, 1992 D 191,792 James Maratta Nov. 21, 1961 D 305,347 Steve Wittenbrock et al. Jan. 2, 1990 French 2 558 064 Andre Lechtzier June 19, 1985 ______________________________________
Exercise machines wherein both the arms and legs of a user produce a cycling movement about a crank shaft have been well known in the prior art. These machines allow the user to simultaneously exercise his or her upper and lower body. Important to the design of these machines is the ability to accommodate people of all sizes and strengths. Therefore, most, if not all, of these exercise machines include mechanisms allowing each user to manually adjust components of the machine to meet his or her particular needs. These adjustments usually concern either the height of the rotatable crank shafts in relation to the user or the distance of the rotatable crank shaft away from the user.
The prior art discloses many exercise machines with adjustable components. One such component is commonly an adjustable seat. Examples of machines allowing this type of adjustment are seen in the Zent patent and the Wittenbrock et al. patent. The Zent patent incorporates a stem attached to a seat or saddle. This stem has a telescoping arrangement with a tubular member, wherein the stem is slidably positioned within the tubular member thus allowing the seat to be raised or lowered. A bolt is used to lock the stem in the desired position. The Wittenbrock et al. patent includes a seat movable in the horizontal direction as it is selectively positioned along the length of a substantially horizontal runner.
Another exercise machine with a plurality of adjustable components is shown in the Carnielli patent. This patent includes seat and handle systems independently adjustable in both the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the crank pedal system. The vertical movement of both the seat and the handle system of this invention incorporates a mechanism similar to that of the Zent patent. Both are movable by the use of telescoping posts. The horizontal movement of the seat employs an arrangement similar to that shown in the Wittenbrock et al. patent, as it is adjustably positioned along the length of a horizontal runner. The horizontal movement of the handle system is accomplished by a tubular member hingedly secured to a stationary member. A screw clamp is provided to secure the tubular member to the stationary member at the desired position.
Other inventions employing the use of a plurality of adjustable components can be seen in the Huang patent and the Lechtzier patent document. As with the Carnielli and Zent patents, both of these inventions utilize telescoping members to permit the movement of their seats and handle mechanisms.
An exercise machine which is sufficiently adjustable along the axis of the crank shafts, so as to span a greater width, is not shown in the prior art. Nor is there an exercise machine which permits the user to quickly and easily modify the radius of rotation of both the hand grips and foot pedals about their respective crank shafts. Such adjustments are topics of this invention and their advantage is in creating universality in the exercise machine to accommodate any user, regardless of his or her size and strength.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.